WOOD News

Muskegon County Voters Settle Issues, Elections

by John C. Smith, WOOD Radio News Team

Mayoral candidates hoped to secure a spot in office in three Muskegon County communities Tuesday.

In Montague, A. James Neubauer emerged from a field of four candidates. In Muskegon, incumbent Stephen J. Gawron defeated Zawdie Abiade by a 2-to-1 margin (1,374 to 681). In North Muskegon, Chris Witham won the race.

In Montague (three) and Roosevelt Park (two), there were as many candidates for City Council seats as there are seats available. In the two At Large Commissioner spots in Muskegon the winners were Ken Johnson and Dan Sybenga. The three Muskegon Heights Council Member positions go to the ballot hopefuls, Jan Koens and James Beckman take North Muskegon's two available council posts and Gary Ostrom, Lowell Kinney, William A. Moulatsiotis and Donald Martinez win in Norton Shores. Whitehall's Council takes on Tanya Cabala, Edward Whalen, Jeffrey Holmstrom and Stephen Sikkenga.

Muskegon's Blue Lake Township approved a renewal of Fire Millage, in Egelston Township there's a renewal of Fire Millage and a renewal of the Street Light levy, along with a .3 mill increase was okayed. A Charter revision was defeated in Whitehall with respect to term limits. Muskegon Community College had a district wide millage proposal okayed, asking for $24 million in bonding to create new science labs, health education space, a new creative arts facility and other infrastructure and facility improvements.

More specifics on the races and questions above are available here. Learn more about elections in other counties by clicking on the county names below: